Spinning-top.



.No. 732,233. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903. I. E. STUMP & E. E. GROOK.

SPINNING TOP. Arrmoumn FILED APR. 2a, 1903.

no MODEL.-

UNITED STATES Patented June 30, 1903-.

PATENT OFFICE.

IRA E. STUMP AND EDWIN E. OROOK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SPINNING-TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 732,233, dated June 30, 1903.

Application filed April 28, 1903.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, IRA E. STUMP and ED- WIN E. OROOK, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spinning-Tops; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to spinning -tops; and the object of the invention is to produce an improved top rotated by a coiled spring contained within the body thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the top. Fig. 2 is a top view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a plan showing the inside of thetop with the cap and finger-piece removed.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 indicates the body of the top, having a central vertical stem 7, surrounded by an annular space 8, which contains the coiled spring 9, which furnishes the power by which the top is rotated. This spring is fast at its lower end to the body of the top and is bent at its upper end into a hook 10, which is adapted to catch a pin 11, projecting from the under side of the cap 12, which latter turns freely on the upper end of the stem and also has lengthwise movement thereon. The recess 8 is enlarged at the upper end to receive the cap 12 and to form a shoulder upon which is fastened a ratchet-ring 13, the teeth of which are upwardly presented. At 14. is indicated a finger-piece by which the spring is wound. It consists of a piece of looped wire, the ends of which extend loosely through diametrically-opposite holes in the cap 12 to engagement with the teeth of the ratchet. Theends of the finger-piece form pawls which engage the teeth of the ratchet to hold the top from rotation until set off by finger-pressure on the head 7 of the stem. The springs 15 are formed of light coiled wire coiled around the branches of the finger-piece andheld in compression between the top of the cap and shoulders 14?, formed by bends in the wire of the Serial 110.154.,621. (No model.)

finger-piece. These springs tend tolift the finger-piece to disengage the ends thereof from the ratchet-that is, they assist the finger-pressure in setting off the top.

' In operation the cap 12 is pressed down and turned by means of the finger-piece, and the pin 11 engages in the hook 10 and winds the spring. The ends of the finger-piece slip over the teeth of the ratchet and by engagement therewith hold the top against back slip until the spring is fully wound. The springs 15 are not strong enough to cause disengagement, but are designed only to assist the finger action in setting off the top.

This is advisable, because the strength of a childs fingers may not be great enough to break the engagement between the ratchet and the ends of the finger-piece. After the spring is wound the top is set off by holding it in one hand by the finger-piece and pressing on the top of the stem. The pressure with the assistance of the springs 15 disengages the ends of the finger-piece from the ratchet, and the mainspring sets the body of the top spinning. It can then be dropped on any smooth surface for continued rotation.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A top comprising a body having a central stem rigid therewith and a ratchet around the same, a spring coiled around the stem and fastened at one end to the body, a cap rotatable on and with the stem and having means to engage the free end of the spring, and a pawl carried bythe cap and engageable with the ratchet.

2. A top comprising a body having a central rigid stem and a ratchet around the same, a spring coiled around the lower part of said stem and fast to the body at one end thereof and having a hook at the other end, a cap rotatable on the upper part of the stem and having a projection engageable with the hook, and a finger-piece carried by the cap and having a pawl engageable with the ratchet.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

IRA E. STUMP.

EDWIN E. OROOK.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. BOMMHARDT, LOTTIE NEWBURN. 

